Committee questions $1.9M sprinkler replacement after vendor reports $27,000 repair at East elementary

Committee members raised a stark cost discrepancy Tuesday when discussing a planned sprinkler replacement at East (ESE) Elementary School.

Speaker 4 told the committee that the board previously approved a $1.9 million project to replace the building's sprinkler system after litigation related to faulty installations. Keystone Fire and Security subsequently inspected the system and reported a limited scope of work—replacing fittings—estimated at about $27,000.

"Keystone Fire's quote was to repair only select areas that had been visually observed to be problems," district project manager Josh said, noting the Keystone quote is roughly two years old and limited to a visual survey. "It does not address every fitting, every elbow, throughout the entire building." (Josh clarified the older Keystone estimate may now be higher.)

Josh added that the earlier $1.9 million bid covered full replacement of piping, heads, the fire pump and all system components, and that piecemeal repairs may leave the district chasing future leaks. Committee members noted the district's reported $34.5 million budget deficit and urged caution before proceeding with multi-million-dollar work.

The superintendent's office and district solicitor have reviewed the matter; the chair asked staff to confirm whether settlement terms, warranties or legal obligations require full replacement. The committee agreed to take the issue to the full board with a recommendation to pause the larger contract, obtain an updated Keystone scope and pricing, and then decide whether to proceed with targeted repairs or full replacement.

Next steps: staff will confirm settlement conditions and obtain updated proposals; the committee will present findings to the board for a final decision.